Magistrate Douglas Frederick was on Monday forced to use his discretion and change an accused man’s initial guilty plea.
Hubert Clive Watt, a 52-year-old from Dolly Varden Boulevard, Scarborough, Canada, appeared before the District ‘B’ Magistrates’ Court located at St Joseph and admitted to charges of importation, possession, possession with intent for him or some other person to supply, and trafficking of a quantity of cannabis on January 12.
However, after the facts of the case were revealed by prosecutor Station Sergeant Glenda Carter, Magistrate Frederick changed the plea over what he described as a “huge discrepancy”.
According to Watt’s attorney Shadia Simpson, her client was given a document by officers at Customs indicating the weight of the drugs when weighed at that location. However, in the facts read, a different weight was given by officers who investigated the matter.
Magistrate Frederick maintained that an accused person’s plea must be unequivocal, adding that while Watt agreed that he had committed the offences, he was disputing the quantity alleged.
It was at that time that Simpson put forward a bail application for her client until the matter could be rectified.
Magistrate Frederick stated that he would consider bail for the accused given the circumstances but it would have stringent conditions attached.
However, Watt did not have anyone present at the time to stand as surety. He will reappear before the magistrate on Tuesday for that consideration.
